Every Step
by Riuolo
Summary: Yuugi, the lover of Pharaoh Atemu, one day learns that it is because of him that Atemu has been distracted and making poor decisions. He flees the palace, not wanting to be the downfall of Atemu, but Atemu isn't about to let him go so easily. Atemu/Yuugi. Blindshipping.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Booooo.

**Warning:** Sexual situations, like, right away. In the first scene, even. Yeah…

**-Every Step-  
**Chapter One

The sunlight filtering through the open archway that connected the room to the vast balcony outside was as beautiful as it was bright, and the sleeping Yuugi's eyes fluttered open in response. With a yawn, he automatically moved to sit up, but a touch caused him to pause just as he was resting on his elbows.

Momentarily confused, Yuugi looked over and his brow furrowed. "Atemu?" he asked, his voice quiet from all of the sleeping he'd just done. "What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you have left by now?" He knew Atemu had a lot of things he needed to get done today and was under the impression that he was supposed to have left just as the sun began to rise.

The Great Pharaoh Atemu merely smiled and ran his hand comfortingly through Yuugi's hair. "I was going to leave earlier, but you just looked so cute," Atemu teased, gently grabbing Yuugi by the arm and pulling him to Atemu's side. "How could I possibly leave you here by yourself when you were making such a tantalizing face in your sleep?"

Yuugi blushed at Atemu's words. "But…" Yuugi protested, his voice trailing off. He thought Atemu had some important matters he had to attend to today. Nothing would get done if he just sat there with Yuugi all day.

"Hush," Atemu commanded, placing a quick kiss on Yuugi's lips to emphasize the word. "There's nothing more important than you."

Yuugi felt flattered, though he tried to hide it. From his understanding, Atemu really did need to leave and do other things.

"Besides," Atemu continued before Yuugi could say anything, "there are others who can take care of such matters. After your wonderful performance last night, I'm still not entirely satisfied…" Atemu rolled so that Yuugi was on his back and Atemu was hovering over him, their faces inches apart.

Against his better judgment, Yuugi felt himself melting into the embrace. "Ate—" he began, though he was quickly cut off by a pair of lips covering his own. Yuugi couldn't help it; he moaned.

Atemu pulled away, looking entirely pleased with himself. Yuugi could only stare, dazed. What was it that he'd been trying to convince Atemu of again?

_It probably doesn't matter_, was Yuugi's last coherent thought as he wrapped his legs around Atemu's waist.

Atemu smiled, instantly grinding against Yuugi as he littered his chest with kisses. He always loved the noises Yuugi made as they were making love.

"Yuugi," he practically purred, lightly licking one of Yuugi's nipples and reveling the slight shout he let out. "I love you, little one."

Yuugi shook, almost unable to take both Atemu's words and ministrations at the same time. "L-love you, too," he replied, burying his hands into Atemu's hair.

When Atemu was satisfied with the marks littering Yuugi's chest, he briefly pulled away and reached to grab the oil sitting next to where they were laying. After dipping his fingers in it, he reached behind Yuugi and lightly probed at his entrance. His fingers danced teasingly across Yuugi's skin, and just when Yuugi thought he couldn't take it anymore Atemu inserted his finger, trying to get Yuugi as slick as he could.

After he was satisfied, Atemu positioned himself and thrust into Yuugi, letting out a small groan as warmth and tightness surrounded his member. He could never get over how fucking _good_ it felt to be joined with Yuugi, like they were meant to be like this.

Yuugi also enjoyed the feeling of completion. It was times like this that he felt close to Atemu, and he loved it. Loved everything—this closeness, _Atemu_. He loved Atemu so much.

Yuugi pushed forward a bit, gently urging Atemu on, and Atemu was all too happy to comply. He started slowly, drawing out his thrusts and taking in Yuugi's flushed face and euphoric expression. Soon, however, overwhelming tension began to pool in his stomach and Atemu wanted _more_.

Atemu flipped Yuugi onto his stomach before harshly thrusting back into him. Yuugi jumped a little, but sighed happily all the same. Atemu's thrusts were now much faster, and it was all Yuugi could do to meet them with his own backwards jerks.

Though a little shaky, Atemu moved a single hand down to help jerk Yuugi off in time with his thrusts, and Yuugi reciprocated by moaning and pushing himself harder onto Atemu's length.

At the pace they were going, it wasn't long before they climaxed. Under his hand, Atemu could feel Yuugi's abs spasm and contract and knew he was only seconds away.

Yuugi came with a loud cry, the stimulation against his prostate finally too much to bear.

Atemu pulled out at the very last moment, the tension pooling around the bottom of his stomach expelling in a snap as he also came and was overtaken with pleasure.

Both were breathing hard as the pleasure finally started to fade. Atemu fell into the pillows beside Yuugi, and Yuugi immediately cuddled up to him. Atemu wrapped his arms around Yuugi in response.

Gently stroking Yuugi's cheek, Atemu whispered, "I love you."

Yuugi smiled in response and nodded his head into Atemu's stomach. "I love you, too," he replied sincerely. And though he wasn't very tired, with the constant motions of Atemu stroking his hair and cheek Yuugi soon found his eyes drooping.

"We'll stay together—just like this—forever, won't we, Yuugi?" Atemu said, gently tracing the outline of Yuugi's nose.

Yuugi felt butterflies fluttering around his stomach at Atemu's words. They almost sounded too good to be true, but… "Of course," he replied.

Atemu seemed satisfied with this, as he didn't say anything else.

And slowly, in the comfort of Atemu's arms, Yuugi drifted back to sleep.

* * *

When Yuugi woke up again, he was a little disappointed to notice he was alone. His hand automatically reached for the spot that Atemu had been, only to find the spot cold. Oh, well. He'd known Atemu was busy, after all. It was better that he was off attending to other matters.

Yuugi glanced out the giant archway and noticed the sun seemed to be at its highest. Had he really slept so long? It felt like it had only just been morning.

Yuugi's stomach rumbled in response and he realized embarrassedly that, yes, it had been that long. He stood and moved to go and get himself cleaned off in the bath. With the dried sweat and semen sticking to his skin, he felt more than a little disgusting.

When he was satisfied with his appearance, Yuugi left the room and made his way down the long corridors to where he knew the kitchen to be. Along the way the various servants he passed would bow lowly before scurrying on their way, and it never ceased to make Yuugi feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Yuugi himself wasn't royalty—quite the contrary, in fact, as he was born a commoner. In the past, he would never have even dreamed that he'd one day be where he currently was, but against all odds he had met and fallen in mutual love with the Pharaoh. To say he wasn't used to the treatment he was now given would be an understatement, but he knew no one meant any harm by it. Besides, if he wanted to stay with Atemu he knew he would have to learn to deal with it.

With one final turn he was in the corridor just outside the kitchen. Yuugi headed inside, intending to find date fruit or perhaps some chickpeas to munch on before heading on his way. However, he was stopped as soon as he entered by the sight of Atemu lounging against a wall, absentmindedly eating some grapes.

Yuugi paused. "Pharaoh? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be elsewhere?" Yuugi asked, confused.

Atemu, who was abruptly snapped from his musings by the sound of Yuugi's voice, looked up and smiled at Yuugi in greeting. "There you are, Yuugi!" Atemu said. "I had a feeling you would be here soon, so I decided to take a break and get some lunch. Grape?" he offered, kindly holding out the fruit to Yuugi.

Yuugi accepted the grape, but his brow furrowed in worry. "I thought you were going to be busy today, Atemu," he said, popping the grape into his mouth. Man, he was hungry.

Atemu chuckled. "It seems today all you're doing is trying to get rid of me!" he exclaimed teasingly.

Yuugi immediately shook his head. "No, no! You have it all wrong!" he insisted. He never wanted Atemu to go away! "It's just… I thought…" Yuugi trailed off, biting his lip in worry.

Atemu placed the rest of the grapes on a nearby table before stepping forward and embracing Yuugi. "Yuugi," he said, "you have nothing to worry about. My subjects can wait, because as for now all I want to do is be with you. Besides, even a pharaoh needs to eat."

Against his wishes, a blush made its way onto Yuugi's face. "S-stop saying things like that!" he protested gently. "I know you're busy…"

Atemu kissed him on the forehead. "I am never too busy for you."

And just like that, the worry between them dissipated. Atemu motioned for Yuugi to sit, and they both settled themselves at a small table. Atemu scooted his chair so that he was right next to Yuugi, much to Yuugi's happiness.

"I've already set out some chickpeas for you," Atemu said, sliding a bowl of the aforementioned vegetable in front of Yuugi and watching with delight as Yuugi's eyes lit up. "I know how much you like them."

"Thank you, Atemu!" Yuugi exclaimed happily. Not one to waste time when it came to food he liked, he eagerly began to munch on them.

Atemu smiled, pleased with Yuugi's happiness. He took a few bites of his grapes before leaning in close to the side of Yuugi's head. Yuugi, too distracted by the chickpeas, didn't notice until Atemu lightly blew on his ear. Yuugi jumped.

Atemu laughed softly to himself. "You're so cute," he said, sounding as if he could hardly believe it. He nuzzled Yuugi's cheek. "So, since I got you those chickpeas, what are you going to do for me?" he asked slyly.

Yuugi shook his head, but he was smiling. "What is it you want?"

Atemu seemed to take a moment to ponder this, but Yuugi wasn't fooled. He knew Atemu had something in mind, he always did.

Finally, Atemu grinned and said, "Feed me?" He held out the rest of the grapes.

Yuugi rolled his eyes, but accepted the grapes all the same. He did as Atemu requested and brought one of the grapes to Atemu's mouth, who deftly grabbed it with his lips before chewing and swallowing.

Yuugi barely held back his laughter. "You're like a little kid, needing me to do this for you," he teased.

"Mm… Quiet, you, and feed me," Atemu said, playfully bringing his face even closer to Yuugi's.

This time, Yuugi really did laugh as he held up another grape.

It went on like this for a while, both of them teasing and joking with each other as they ate. Yuugi couldn't help but wonder at how easy it was, just sitting there and being with Atemu. Unbeknownst to Yuugi, Atemu was secretly thinking the same thing.

Finally, Atemu stood.

"I'll see you later, Yuugi," Atemu said, giving Yuugi's hand a gentle squeeze before he strode down the corridors in the direction of his throne room. Yuugi watched him go, completely content. He really didn't know what he'd done to deserve Atemu, but he was thankful.

A skip in his step, Yuugi headed off in the direction of the gardens. The palace, albeit beautiful, didn't provide much of interest for Yuugi to do. Whenever Yuugi tried to do anything even mildly productive, Atemu tended to scold him and tell him that he needn't strain or stress himself. It was extremely frustrating, but he knew Atemu was only worried about him. Unfortunately, this meant he was limited to lounging around, admiring scenery, and playing games. He was especially good at games.

He was just about to turn a corner, wondering to himself if perhaps Atemu would be okay with it if he went to visit his friend Jonouchi in town again, when the sound of people talking caused him to pause.

Yuugi immediately recognized the voice of Seth, one of Atemu's high priests, and automatically started backing up. Seth sounded angry, and Yuugi didn't want to eavesdrop. He was just about to turn around and take another hallway, when…

"—hardly believe the nerve of the pharaoh! This is the second high judgment he's missed today alone!"

Yuugi paused, unable to help himself. Just what had Priest Seth said?

"Now, Priest Seth, calm yourself…"

Yuugi's eyes widened. That was Shimon's voice. Seth was talking to Shimon?

"No, I won't calm myself! This is an outrage!" Seth replied angrily. From the echoing footsteps, Yuugi could tell he was pacing. "The Pharaoh has important duties he must attend to, and by blowing them off like this, he risks endangering the citizens of both Upper and Lower Egypt! We just had to postpone the trial of a dangerous thief because of him! It's a disgrace!"

Yuugi felt his heart clench. But… Atemu had said…

"Priest Seth…" Shimon said, voice sad.

"It's all because of that Ra forsaken commoner the Pharaoh is obsessed with!" Seth all but screamed.

Yuugi flinched, guilt eating viciously at his insides. It was his fault? That was right… He was the one who was distracting Atemu. If it weren't for him, Atemu would be attending to his duties as he normally would.

And Shimon's sudden silence confirmed it. Lately Yuugi had taken to thinking of Shimon like he would a grandfather, and if even he agreed with what Seth was saying… Then it was true.

Yuugi's heart broke, and he ran.

* * *

**A/N**: That's it for the first chapter. =) In this story I think the length of each chapter is going to vary somewhat, just depending on wherever I decide a good stopping point to be. But even so, this one was kind of short. Hm…

Anyway, I hope you liked it! I tried to show a lot of Atemu and Yuugi's very dependent relationship so that Atemu and Yuugi's actions in later chapters are easier to understand. I'm not entirely sure I accomplished it, but I tried.

In either the next chapter or the one after that you guys will learn more about how Yuugi and Atemu's relationship came to be, so please forgive me for any confusion right now.

Thank you very much for reading!

~Riuolo


	2. Chapter 2

**-Every Step-  
**Chapter Two

When Yuugi finally stopped running, out of breath and legs shaky, he wasn't entirely sure where he was. He was still in the palace, but there were many places he hadn't explored. Not to mention, he hadn't exactly been watching where he was running.

He probably would have been more concerned about this if it didn't feel like his world was falling apart.

Yuugi knew very well that Atemu was the ruler of all of Egypt. As such, Egypt itself hinged on Atemu being good at what he did and in the past that hadn't been a problem. But if Atemu was too distracted to do his job…

Yuugi leaned against the nearest wall, breathing heavily. He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't help himself. If Atemu didn't rule like he was supposed to, then people would suffer for it and, well, it was possible one of those people would end up being Atemu himself. There were lots of people who would jump at the chance to take advantage of a distracted Pharaoh.

That was the last thing he wanted.

Yuugi slid down the wall until he was sitting. Just earlier that day, he'd promised Atemu that they could be together forever, but would that really be best if it was at the expense of others? At the expense of Egypt and Atemu?

Yuugi desperately shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Maybe he was overreacting. After all, it was only lately that their relationship had gotten more serious, so maybe it was a phase that would pass? But what if it didn't pass? And, a small, selfish corner of his heart spoke up, did he even want it to pass?

No, he couldn't think like that. Atemu and Egypt were much more important than his own happiness. However, he couldn't act rashly. If Atemu could start acting more like the ruler he truly was, then there wouldn't be a problem. Maybe Yuugi could try and push him in the right direction again.

His heart plummeted a little as he immediately recalled how well trying to get Atemu to get back to work had worked earlier that day—that is to say, it hadn't worked at all. But he wouldn't give up! And if it didn't work…

Yuugi's eyes started to sting, and he knew tears were coming. He fought them off though, knowing that he needed to be strong. He wouldn't get anywhere crying about his problems.

Just as he had made up his mind, a loud noise coming from down the hall drew his attention and snapped him out of his reverie. His brow furrowed. Was something wrong?

He had just stumbled to his feet to go and check things out when the sound of running footsteps caused him to pause. Before he could react, a slave ran around the corner, looking as if the devil himself was on his heels. When he spotted Yuugi, the slave's eyes widened and he skidded to a halt before bowing lowly in front of Yuugi, his silvery-white hair falling into his eyes.

The slave was obviously in a rush, because before Yuugi could ask him what was going on the slave said, "Sir, I request that you please come with me. The Pharaoh is very upset about your disappearance."

Yuugi's eyes widened. Had he really been gone for so long? He nodded. "Of course, lead the way," he replied. This wasn't good. He hadn't meant to cause a disturbance.

The slave nodded before straightening himself and quickly heading down the hall. Yuugi followed after him, practically running to keep up. On the way, they met other slaves and, after seeing the relieved expressions on their faces, Yuugi had to wonder about just how worried he had made Atemu.

His fears were confirmed when they reached the Throne Room and he heard Atemu shouting. He instinctually quickened his pace in response and quickly passed the slave who had been leading him before bursting into the Throne Room. His eyes immediately connected with Atemu's like magnets, and Atemu shouted, "Yuugi!"

Atemu, who had just been in the middle of shouting at one of the lead guards, quickly closed the distance between himself and Yuugi before scooping him into his arms. "Yuugi…" Atemu said, sounding so relieved that Yuugi was immediately assaulted by guilt. Atemu buried his face into Yuugi's hair and clutched at him tightly. "What happened to you? I was so worried! You've been gone for hours! I had every available person looking for you."

In return, Yuugi apologetically wrapped his arms around Atemu's waist. "I'm so sorry," Yuugi said. He hesitated, not wanting to lie to Atemu, but knowing he couldn't tell the whole truth. Finally, he settled on saying, "I took a wrong turn somewhere, and I didn't know where I was…"

Atemu let out a relieved sigh, somehow managing to clutch Yuugi even closer. "You must be more careful next time. I don't know what I'd do without you," he scolded, voice strained from worry.

Yuugi shook slightly, though Atemu was too busy being relieved to notice. Due to their closeness, Yuugi could feel how fast Atemu's heart was beating, and it concerned him. Atemu shouldn't have gotten so worried about him being gone for only a few hours. Had their relationship really grown to this? After what he had just found out, this troubled Yuugi.

Moreover, had Atemu really had so many people looking for him? The sinking feeling in his gut worsened. Atemu shouldn't have used everyone just to look for him. It must have caused a huge disturbance and disruption to everyone's normal duties.

Yuugi's hands unconsciously gripped Atemu's clothes even tighter, his body and heart dreading the conclusion his mind was coming to. But no, he couldn't overreact, he reminded himself. Atemu couldn't help it if he was worried, and there could have been a chance that Yuugi had been genuinely hurt and needing help somewhere. Atemu's actions, as overkill as they were, made some sense.

Finally, Atemu gently pulled Yuugi slightly away. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked, sweeping Yuugi's body with his eyes for any injuries.

Yuugi shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I really only took a wrong turn," he explained.

Atemu smiled slightly, though it was obviously strained. "Alright, I think we've had enough excitement for today. Come, Yuugi, let us retire to our room," he commanded, putting a firm arm around Yuugi's waist. He began to lead Yuugi towards the door when Mahado, who had been silently watching the proceedings, stepped forward.

"My Pharaoh," he said, dropping to his knee in a bow, "is that really wise? Forgive me, but there is still much to be done."

Yuugi stilled, remembering what he had overheard earlier. He glanced at Atemu, who looked mildly annoyed. In a small part of his mind, Yuugi wondered what sort of expression Atemu would have made if it hadn't been Mahado, his best friend, who had spoken up.

"You are correct, Priest Mahado, there is indeed much to be done. However, in light of what has just transpired, I believe a break is in order. There is nothing going on that cannot be put off for another day," Atemu said, clear authority in his voice. Without waiting for a response, Atemu tugged Yuugi in the direction of the exit once again.

Yuugi panicked. No! Atemu was blowing off his duties again just because of him! He had to do something!

Before he could really think his actions through, Yuugi placed a hand on Atemu's shoulder, halting him. "You can't!" he said, his worry showing in his voice.

In response, Atemu's brow furrowed in worry. "Yuugi, is something the matter? I thought you said you were okay."

Yuugi shook his head, suddenly at a loss for words. He didn't want to make Atemu suspicious or, heaven forbid, even more worried. However, he couldn't just let Atemu walk away from his duties. He closed his eyes tightly, willing himself to find the right words, before opening them and looking at Atemu pleadingly. "Pharaoh, I'm fine, really. I just got a little lost. I'd feel bad if this caused you to get behind on your work, so please stay?"

Atemu frowned, looking extremely hesitant. Just when he looked like he was about to argue, Yuugi begged, "_Please_?"

For a long couple of moments, everything was silent. Then finally, Atemu let out a long sigh. "As you wish," he said, giving in. He reluctantly released his hold on Yuugi's waist, and just as Yuugi stepped away, Atemu grabbed his hand. "Yuugi, just promise me you'll be more careful. You scared me half to death," he said, worried.

"I promise," Yuugi replied, and he meant it. He didn't like the thought of worrying Atemu.

Atemu nodded, seemingly satisfied with this, before turning to the slave who had found Yuugi. "You!" he commanded, pointing at him. "Escort Yuugi to our room and make sure he gets there safely. I don't want this happening again."

The slave bowed before doing as he was ordered and rushed over to take Yuugi from Atemu. After a few 'goodbye's between Yuugi and Atemu, the slave and Yuugi went to go to their destination.

Yuugi's heart soared. He couldn't be happier. This proved it—he might be the cause of Atemu's distraction, but he was also the remedy for it. Yuugi was capable of convincing Atemu to do what he needed to do, so he no longer had to worry. Even if he stayed here, Atemu and Egypt would be fine.

Yuugi couldn't help the bright smile on his face as he was lead out of the room. The silver haired slave who escorted him noticed this and hesitantly smiled back.

And that was when it all went wrong.

"Well, well… What do we have here?"

Before Yuugi or the slave could react, Yuugi was grabbed by the arm and yanked abruptly to the side. Both Yuugi and the slave let out a shout, which alerted everyone in the Throne Room.

Atemu swore his heart stopped when he heard Yuugi's panicked yell. Before his mind even consciously made the decision, he was running out into the hall, the other people in the Throne Room right behind him.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. There, eyes wide and scared, was his precious Yuugi, a sharp dagger pressed to his throat. A man with wild silvery hair held him close, a wicked smile on his face.

From behind Atemu, someone yelled, "That's the thief Bakura! But he's supposed to be locked away in the dungeon!"

Bakura's smile seemed to widen at this. He pressed the dagger closer to Yuugi's neck, actually drawing a little blood, and said, "Yes, well, I took the liberty of letting myself out. All of your guards seemed so busy, I figured you wouldn't mind."

Yuugi couldn't help it; he whimpered. He wanted to be braver, but it was hard with a dagger pressed to his throat.

Atemu stepped forward, looking unspeakably angry. "You will release Yuugi right now," he commanded, his tone promising severe pain if Bakura didn't comply.

Bakura merely laughed at this. "I don't think so. Sorry, Pharaoh, but I'm not one to let a chance like this slip through my fingers. How about this instead? You give me the Millennium Items, and I don't slit this boy's throat. He's important to you, isn't he?"

Yuugi's mouth dropped open a little. No! He wouldn't let that happen! "Don't do it!" Yuugi cried out, trying to wiggle out of Bakura's grip, but to no avail. The Millennium Items were too important!

Bakura growled in annoyance. "Stop that!" he said fiercely. Not one who was known for his patience, Bakura hit Yuugi hard upside the head with the handle of his dagger. Yuugi let out a small shout, immediately seeing stars.

"Yuugi!" Atemu yelled. He started to run towards them, but Mahado grabbed him and held him back.

"My Pharaoh! If you do that, he will only hurt the boy!" Mahado tried to reason.

Bakura started to laugh again. "This is great! So what'll it be, Pharaoh? The Millennium Items or this?" he asked, shaking the disoriented Yuugi.

Suddenly slouched in Mahado's restraining arms, Atemu was silent, his face turned strangely towards the ground.

"Too scared to move, Pharaoh?" Bakura taunted, looking very satisfied. He opened his mouth to say something else, but he abruptly cut himself off, eyes widening. A surge of darkness was suddenly surrounding the Pharaoh, and even from where he was at, he could feel the energy radiating off of him. Immediately, he demanded, "That power! What are you—"

"No!"

It hadn't been Yuugi or Atemu or even Mahado who had shouted the word, but instead the slave from earlier. Completely surprising Bakura, the slave rushed at him from the side and pushed him with all his strength. Bakura staggered, dropping Yuugi in his surprise. "You!" Bakura growled angrily, harshly kicking the slave in the stomach and watching gleefully as he fell to the ground, wheezing and clutching at where he had been hurt.

He turned back to Yuugi, dagger high in the air as he made to stab Yuugi. He didn't like the power radiating off of the Pharaoh, and he needed to get out of there before he got in the middle of a fight he might not be able to win. The injured boy would serve as a perfect distraction while he escaped and regrouped. He knew if he took the boy with him instead, the Pharaoh would only hunt him down more persistently.

But just as the dagger was about to connect, Atemu seemed to come out of nowhere and blocked the blow with his arm. Blood spurted from Atemu's arm grotesquely, but he didn't even seem to notice. That was when Bakura looked him in the eyes.

Bakura had always thought the Pharaoh a fool. The man didn't seem to know what real life was like for the people of Egypt and relied on others to do his bidding for him. But as Bakura looked at him, he realized.

The Pharaoh's eyes weren't even those of a man.

They were shadowed over, reminding him absently of some of the more intimidating monsters he had encountered. On the Pharaoh's forehead the Eye of Ra shone brightly, the Millennium Puzzle around his neck doing the same.

Was this the power that had been created in return for the lives of his family and friends?

Bakura didn't have time to think anything else as a sharp burst of power burst from the Pharaoh. He flew backwards, flying several feet until hitting a hard stone pillar with a sickening thud. He fell to the ground, looking lifeless.

Slowly, the Eye of Ra began to fade from Atemu's forehead and the glow from the Millennium Puzzle disappeared. He fell to the ground beside Yuugi, clutching at his injured arm. Yuugi immediately moved to embrace him, the tears finally spilling over as he spotted the blood. "Atemu…!" Yuugi chocked out. There was so much blood…!

Atemu was breathing hard, but he was conscious. "Worry not, Yuugi," he murmured comfortingly as Mahado and the others rushed over to his aid.

So distracted with Atemu, no one noticed when Bakura began to stir.

"I'm so sorry, Atemu! If I'd have been paying more attention…!" Guilt stabbed viciously at Yuugi's stomach as he took in Atemu's wound. If he hadn't gotten caught or if Atemu hadn't been so concerned with him, Atemu wouldn't be hurt. Yuugi clutched desperately at Atemu's clothes, as if afraid he would disappear.

"Shh, Yuugi, it's fine… We're both fine…" Atemu said, soothingly rubbing Yuugi's back with his good arm as the others worked to bind where he was injured.

When Mahado secured the final knot, he looked up and said seriously, "My Pharaoh, we must take you to see Priestess Isis immediately. We must leave now."

Atemu nodded before allowing everyone to help him up. He swayed on his feet, feeling dizzy from the blood loss. "Come, Yuugi," he managed to say. He wouldn't be able to rest peacefully until Yuugi was checked for any injuries as well.

Yuugi had just scrambled to his feet to do as Atemu had commanded when laughter interrupted them. Immediately, everyone's heads swiveled towards the window.

There Bakura stood, looking as if he was about to jump. Slung over his shoulder was the silver haired slave who had helped Yuugi, looking absolutely terrified.

"I'll be seeing you again soon, Pharaoh," Bakura said with a malicious grin. He shrugged a shoulder and the slave let out a small shout. "And I'm taking this with me."

Some of the attendants who weren't helping Atemu stand ran towards Bakura, but with a wave of his hand Bakura jumped out the window. The first person to reach the window leaned down and frantically looked around, but Bakura was gone.

"He's disappeared!" the man exclaimed.

Atemu looked furious. "What?" he demanded. He moved to go and look for himself, but Mahado's arm around his shoulder stopped him.

"My Pharaoh, we will catch him at a later time. Right now you really must go see Isis."

Atemu didn't look happy about it, but allowed himself to be carried away regardless.

Yuugi could hardly believe it. Now, not only was Atemu injured, but the kind slave from earlier had been taken. Why was this happening? He felt rooted to the spot. He needed to help that slave!

One of the guards there put a gentle hand on Yuugi's arm and started leading him after Atemu without a word. Yuugi was shaking so much, and it felt like there was something in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to protest.

* * *

**A/N**: This story seems to be moving really fast, but no matter what I do I can't seem to slow it down. x.x Ah, whatever.

Poor Yuugi, no matter what he does to make things okay the world (*cough* me *cough*) seems to be against him.

Anyway, thank you very much to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I really enjoyed hearing from everyone!

Finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YUUGI~! I made you get kidnapped and nearly stabbed. You're welcome.

~Riuolo


	3. Chapter 3

**-Every Step-**

Chapter Three

Yuugi felt like a wreck.

He sat next to Atemu's bedside, keeping a silent vigil. Occasionally others would filter in and out of the room, but save for shooting them a small smile, Yuugi tended to ignore them. He didn't usually like being so impolite, but his thoughts were plagued by what had happened, and he felt too numb to make any sort of conversation.

After they had taken Atemu to Priestess Isis, a few strange things had come to light. Despite how badly Atemu had been hurt, when Priestess Isis had looked him over, everyone was shocked to discover the stab wound had almost completely healed itself. In the spot Atemu had been profusely bleeding from had only stood a red, jagged scar. It had been angry and raw, but healed all the same.

Though everyone was glad for this, it was worrying. Most people guessed the cause of the fast healing was the strange power the Pharaoh had wielded earlier, but what did that mean? Even though it seemed to have come from the Millennium Puzzle, the power had seemed so _dark_… Yuugi shivered as he remembered.

As it was, Atemu was now lying in his bed and sleeping peacefully. Though his body was healed, what had happened seemed to have left him drained of most of his energy. Priestess Isis had assured him that a good night's sleep was all Atemu needed, but Yuugi couldn't help but worry.

The moment when Atemu had hurt himself to protect Yuugi played relentlessly through Yuugi's mind to the point where he felt he'd go insane from the guilt. In his mind, he could clearly see Atemu jumping in front of him and taking the full brunt of the thief Bakura's attack on Yuugi's behalf. It was all Yuugi's fault that Atemu had been injured like he had.

To say Yuugi felt horrible would be a major understatement. It was his fault… His entire fault… If he wasn't here… He dropped his head into his hands.

Yuugi glanced at Atemu's peaceful face and, unbidden, memories of when they had first met came to mind.

* * *

_It had been just another day for Yuugi. He had gone to the marketplace to purchase some food for the next several days, and the place had been buzzing. There was talk of the Pharaoh coming from his palace to see his people, but such a thing wasn't uncommon. They were blessed with a kind and noble ruler—one that cared for his people—and as such their Pharaoh would occasionally come to see for himself how his subjects were faring._

_So when guards came through the street announcing that the Pharaoh was coming, Yuugi followed everyone else in bowing lowly in respect. He was happy to show his reverence for such a wonderful Pharaoh alongside the rest of the people. _

_Yuugi wasn't sure why or what prompted it, but for some reason that day he glanced up. He knew it was disrespectful and that he should only be looking at the ground, but at that moment it was impossible for him to stop himself. _

_He was surprised to see shockingly crimson eyes staring straight back at him. _

* * *

Yuugi's heart ached at the memory. He wondered morosely at how much he wished Atemu would open his eyes and look at him now, just like he had that day.

Yuugi shook his head, determinedly brushing aside his corny thoughts. Atemu would wake up soon, so he didn't need to worry about that. There were other things he needed to worry about, however.

He looked down at the place Atemu had been stabbed with a deep frown. If Atemu had unhesitatingly gotten himself so hurt just for Yuugi, what else would he do? If another situation like earlier happened again, would Atemu throw himself in harm's way to protect him once more? What if he ended up even more horribly injured? Or even worse…

Just thinking about it was almost enough to make Yuugi cry. He wasn't sure he'd be able to take it if something happened to Atemu again because of him.

But what could he do?

Almost immediately, the solution from earlier came to the forefront of his mind. A part of him desperately wanted to push it away, to deny that such a plan would ever have a chance of working, but it was no use.

High Priest Seth had been right. He was a distraction to Atemu, and Atemu couldn't work well with a distraction. But that wasn't all. As it was, he was also a liability, which was even worse. Egypt's great Pharaoh couldn't afford to have a liability.

With a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, he stood.

He had made his decision.

Yuugi leaned forward and kissed Atemu. It was short and sweet, and it was everything he wanted to express but couldn't. But as he pulled away, he knew it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. But it was all he could take, so he would cherish it.

He headed for the door, ignoring the part of himself that was begging for him to turn back. He had made up his mind and he would see his decision through.

He only paused when he reached the doorway. "I love you, Atemu," he murmured softly. Then he was gone.

Atemu's eyes snapped open.

* * *

Yuugi knew he didn't have time to bother with packing any of his things. As soon as Atemu discovered he was missing Yuugi knew he would worry and send people out to look for him, because Atemu was a good person. He needed to put as much distance as he could between himself and the palace as he could, lest his attempt to get away and save Atemu from himself be in vain.

He would get away. He would. Because if he didn't…

He refused to be a liability to the person he cared most about.

Yuugi all but ran into the room he shared with Atemu. He paused only to grab a cloak to cover himself from the sun's harsh rays and everyone's prying eyes before going to a dark corner of the room. He dropped to the floor, hands desperately searching the wall for the small handhold he knew to be there. He finally grasped it and pulled outwards with a triumphant cry of, "Yes!"

Where the wall had been was now a hidden hole, big enough for one, possibly two people to squeeze through. Yuugi had discovered it one day when he had been left to his own devices and had decided to examine the room.

He had never used it after he had found it, but he strongly suspected it lead outside the palace due to its location. After all, this was Atemu's room, and if something went wrong the Pharaoh, the ruler of all of Egypt, needed a place where he could escape without being detected. Atemu didn't know that Yuugi knew about the passage, so Yuugi figured he could use it to his advantage.

As he looked into the passage, Yuugi was suddenly overcome with the urge to stop, to just turn around and forget what he was doing. After he escaped, he knew there wouldn't be any going back. He was really going to leave the palace—leave _Atemu_. But he knew what he had to do, and so he didn't allow himself to hesitate. He was doing this to protect Atemu, so he couldn't let himself give in to his selfish desires.

Yuugi crawled into the dark and dank hole, holding back a sneeze as dust assaulted his nose. He turned and worked to clumsily put the cover back over the wall, and after a few moments it was back in place. He was immediately met with overwhelming blackness. "So dark…" he whispered quietly, and perhaps a bit fearfully.

He shivered a little, silently begging his eyes to adjust. But he knew it was no use, as there was no light around. He had no choice but to feel the walls and continue forward, so he mustered up his courage and did exactly that.

Yuugi felt his way down the passage for a long while. He couldn't say how long he'd been traveling down the long and winding passage, as the minutes seemed to wear on and on. When he finally hit a wall, he felt like celebrating. His nerves were completely shot to hell, and all he could think of was Atemu and the fact that he needed to get out of there.

Yuugi pushed hesitantly at the wall, and when it didn't immediately give he began to get more desperate. If he turned around and tried to get out another way, there was a good chance someone would stop him and try to figure out where he'd been. Not to mention, there was the possibility that Priestess Isis had had a premonition and was now aware of his escape attempt. He could only go forward if he wanted to succeed.

Finally, the wall started to give. Yuugi could have jumped for joy. He pushed even more determinedly against the spot and soon the daylight started to hit his eyes, making them water a little after having spent so much time in the darkness.

He peeked through the small opening, seeing if anyone was there. When he didn't spot anyone, he pushed it the rest of the way open and stepped out. "I made it…" he said quietly, very proud of himself. But he couldn't celebrate quiet yet…

Yuugi looked around and was quickly able to determine where he was. It was a secluded place behind the palace that he had seen maybe once or twice before. He knew guards regularly patrolled the area, so he had to be careful.

Calling upon sneakiness he didn't know he possessed, Yuugi made himself as small as possible and quietly scurried away. He made it to the wall surrounding the palace, and just as he was about to attempt to climb one of the few trees right beside it and get over that way, a shout rang out.

"There he is!" a guard yelled, frantically waving some other people over.

Yuugi's eyes widened and his heart sped up. He immediately began to climb the tree, completely dropping all pretense of sneakiness he had earlier had. He had to get away!

The guards reached him when he was about halfway up, latching onto Yuugi's ankle. "No!" Yuugi cried out, thrashing his captured leg about in an effort to free himself. He couldn't go back!

Fortunately, luck was on Yuugi's side. His thrashing foot connected hard with his captor's face, and with a shout the guard released him. Not wasting any time, Yuugi continued to climb as fast as he could. The guards tried to follow him, but he was already too far up.

Finally, he had made it. Before the guards could do anything about it, Yuugi jumped over the wall, making sure to protect his neck and head as he fell against the sand. The fall knocked the breath out of him and he knew he'd be more than a little bruised later on, but he wasn't about to dawdle.

He stumbled clumsily to his feet and ran towards the town as fast as he could, knowing the other guards would be there any moment. He had a destination in mind.

He needed to get to Jonouchi's house.

* * *

"My Pharaoh, I beg your forgiveness," Isis said, bowing lowly. "If I had gotten my vision sooner, perhaps this could have been prevented."

Atemu stared coldly at her, the fury in his eyes undeniable. "Silence," he commanded harshly, descending the stairs from his throne. The guards in the room immediately stiffened, anticipating the orders they would be given. Atemu waved a hand, and they relaxed.

He finally stood in front of Isis, expression hard. "You will find Yuugi," he said, his tone leaving absolutely no room for negotiations. "You will use your visions to find him, and he will be brought back." The same strange power from before was swirling dangerously around Atemu, his puzzle glowing lightly in response.

Isis bowed more lowly. "Yes, my Pharaoh."

"Don't keep me waiting," he hissed, the threat in his voice undeniable.

And with that, Isis was dismissed. Atemu walked back up to his throne and sat down, arms crossed. The power continued to float ominously, making more than a few of the guards uncomfortable. Atemu paid them no mind.

His lover, his most precious person, the one who had over time become his reason for living, his _Yuugi_ had left him.

The power spiked.

He couldn't describe the feeling he had felt when he had woken up without Yuugi anywhere in sight. Disappointment, perhaps? And a lot of loneliness and confusion… And something else, something he wasn't quite sure of.

All of that had increased ten fold when he had been told that Yuugi had completely disappeared.

Atemu's hands clenched into fists at the memory. The darkness swirled comfortingly in response, like an old friend.

Yuugi couldn't just leave him. He couldn't.

He wouldn't let him.

A guard burst into the room. "My Pharaoh, he has been spotted!"

Atemu smiled.

* * *

**A/N**: Aaand… done! Sorry this one took me longer, guys. My writing schedule is pretty irregular. ^^;;

Anyway, I hope you liked it! What could this strange power be doing to Atemu? Hm…

Thank you for your support, everyone! And a special thanks as always to my wonderful beta, Chibi Chidori. 3

~Riuolo


	4. Chapter 4

**-Every Step-  
**Chapter Four

A loud knocking at his door startled Jonouchi out of his light doze. He'd been using his break from work to take a quick nap, and as such, was a little annoyed at being woken up.

"Urgh, go away!" Jonouchi groaned, rolling over and half-heartedly flopping his arm over to cover his ear.

But if anything, the banging only got louder. With a sound that was a strange mixture of both anger and resignation, Jonouchi got up and staggered to the door. He threw it open with an annoyed scowl.

"Just what do you—Yuugi?" Jonouchi paused, surprised. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you were coming over today. Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Yuugi, eyes wide and expression panicked, clutched his cloak more closely to himself. "Please let me in," he very nearly begged. "I'll explain when I'm inside."

Jonouchi stepped aside without a second thought, his earlier sleepiness fading away in the blink of an eye. "Of course," he replied, shooing Yuugi inside. When he was safely in, Jonouchi stopped to look at their surroundings, but didn't see anything suspicious. With a frown he closed the door and stepped back inside.

"So what's up, Yuugi? You going to tell me what's wrong?" Jonouchi asked, leaning against the wall of his mud brick house with his arms crossed.

Yuugi nodded, but suddenly had a hard time finding his voice. It felt like he had something stuck in this throat, and he couldn't form the words to tell Jonouchi just what he'd done. Finally, he shook his head and said, "I need your help."

Jonouchi's brow furrowed. "Help? Yuugi, what's wrong? You really don't look so good."

"I left Atemu."

The sudden silence was nearly deafening. Jonouchi could only stare, mouth agape, and all of a sudden Yuugi felt like crying again. Would Jonouchi, his best friend, not help him? Then who could he turn to?

"I… I'm sorry," Yuugi whispered around the lump in his throat. "I'll just leave. It would be bad if you were caught helping me."

Suddenly, Jonouchi found his voice. "What? No!" he exclaimed, reaching out and grasping Yuugi by the arm. "I was just surprised is all. This is a big deal. I thought you loved him. Are you sure, Yuugi?"

Yuugi could only nod slowly. Was he sure? He wasn't entirely positive about that himself, but he knew what he needed to do.

Jonouchi nodded in response, his brow furrowed determinedly. "Then we'd better get you away. What do you need from me?"

For the first time since he had decided to escape, Yuugi felt a truly warm feeling in his heart. Jonouchi would really help him? "I was thinking… I'll need some different clothes," Yuugi said, gesturing to what he was wearing. It was all very opulent, and he had attracted many stares running through the town with it on. If he had different clothes, he was sure he could blend in with everyone more easily and make it harder for any guards to identify him.

"I'm on it!" Jonouchi exclaimed. He disappeared into a small side room and quickly came back, clothes in hand. "These were the smallest I could find," Jonouchi apologized.

Yuugi gratefully accept them. "Thank you, Jonouchi. These look like they'll work just fine," Yuugi said with a small smile.

Jonouchi grinned in response. "No problem, buddy."

Yuugi quickly changed into his new clothes and soon stood in his new outfit with his old clothes in his hands. "I need to find a place to throw these away. We can't just leave them here in case they decide to search—"

_THUNK THUNK_

"Jonouchi Katsuya," a loud voice coming from outside Jonouchi's door said, "I am a member of the Pharaoh's personal guard, and you are hereby ordered by the Pharaoh himself to submit to a search. Open up immediately!"

Yuugi and Jonouchi stared at each other, wide-eyed.

"Can't we just… _not_ let them in?" Jonouchi whispered to Yuugi.

Yuugi shook his head, looking lost.

"We have been ordered to use any means necessary! Open up this door before we force it open!" the guard shouted.

Suddenly, Jonouchi looked determined. "Okay, you escape out the back while I distract them. Come back when it's safe again and we'll figure out what to do from there," he said.

Despite Jonouchi's confidence, Yuugi was unsure. "I can't just leave you to deal with them by yourself, Jonouchi…."

"No, you need to get away unless you want to get caught. Don't worry, I'll be fine," Jonouchi smiled reassuringly. The banging at his door increased in volume, and they both knew they only had seconds to get Yuugi away. Jonouchi hurried to the door, saying, "When it's safe to come back, I'll place a pot outside my door. Hurry and go!"

Yuugi nodded. "Be safe, Jonouchi!" he said, running for the back window. He pushed aside the mat covering it and slipped outside. He paused to look back, still a little reluctant to leave Jonouchi to deal with the guards on his own, but knowing he couldn't do anything else. He covered himself with his new cloak and hurried off down the street. He still needed to find a place to throw away his old clothes.

Once his clothes were safely disposed of, Yuugi focused on staying out of sight and thinking of what he needed to do next. Truthfully, in his rush he hadn't thought much about what he would do after he escaped the palace. All he had known was that he needed to get away, so he had. But how was he going to make sure he was able to stay away? If any of the guards found him, he'd be dragged right back and the situation would only get worse.

Of course, that was all assuming Atemu even had people out looking for him. Atemu was a good person, so there was also a chance that he would accept Yuugi's decision to leave. Those guards from earlier could have been at Jonouchi's house for any reason, and of course guards would chase him if they spotted him trying to sneak away from the palace. It made sense.

Yuugi hoped that was the case, but for now he couldn't take any chances. He would have to be very careful. He knew Jonouchi would help him, thankfully. He could depend on Jonouchi.

Yuugi nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw some guards, but he quickly ducked behind a house just as they would have seen him. His blood hammered in his ears as they walked by. Their voices were serious and hushed, and Yuugi feared to learn what they were talking about.

When they finally left, Yuugi allowed himself to breath a sigh of relief. "That was close…" he mumbled. He needed to be more careful.

He threw the hood of his cloak over his head, successfully obscuring his hair. His hair was a dead giveaway of who he was and tended to attract a lot of stares, so he needed to make sure it was hidden.

After a short moment's indecision, Yuugi decided to head over to the marketplace. It was always busy, and he figured it would be easier to hide from people looking for him in a crowd. He would blend right in.

It was due to this that he wasn't prepared when it happened.

Yuugi was walking through the marketplace, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Mahado and Mana, Mahado's apprentice.

A cold feeling of dread gripped his heart.

Mahado was Atemu's best friend and one of the ones most loyal to the Pharaoh. At the palace he had gotten along well with Mahado, but Yuugi wouldn't fool himself into thinking that he was someone Mahado particularly cared a lot about.

Yuugi forced himself to breath. Mahado and Mana weren't necessarily here to look for him. If he could just quietly slip away, everything would be fine. He could go and check if it was safe to go to Jonouchi's house again or not and hide out there. Surely they were done looking through his house, right?

Yuugi was slowly edging towards the side of the marketplace, ignoring the way his instincts were urging him to run, when a loud, authoritative voice rang over the cacophony of the crowd.

"I come with new orders from the Great Pharaoh," Mahado's voice yelled. Immediately, the surrounding area quieted. Yuugi froze for a moment before looking back. Mahado was standing atop a platform, Mana slightly behind him. Guards surrounded them, looking very menacing. No one dared to even breath.

When only the sound of the Nile's flowing waters greeted his ears, Mahado continued, "Everyone is to report to the palace's courtyard as soon as the next sun has risen. Attendance is mandatory. The Great Pharaoh will be making an announcement."

For the briefest of moments, Yuugi could have sworn that Mahado was looking right at him.

"That is all," Mahado said, bowing his head and stepping down. Mana trailed after him, and they headed back in the direction of the palace.

Yuugi wasn't sure what he should do. His first thought was that he shouldn't go, but he knew he'd be in a lot of trouble if he were discovered in town when he was supposed to be in the palace courtyard. Besides, he knew he probably needed to go and see what Atemu was going to say. But what if someone recognized him?

Yuugi turned back around and headed in the direction of Jonouchi's house. Maybe he would know what to do.

A few minutes later Yuugi was peering around a corner, trying to see if a pot was outside Jonouchi's door. He didn't see any guards, but that didn't mean they weren't around.

Yuugi frowned when he didn't see a pot outside of Jonouchi's door like he had said. It still wasn't safe? That wasn't good. He turned and hurried away, casting furtive glances around himself. He didn't see anything suspicious, but he hurried all the same.

It wasn't much longer before the sun set. Without a place to go, Yuugi wandered aimlessly around and did his best to stay out of sight. It seemed luck was on his side, as no one bothered him even when he stopped to get a little bit of rest.

As he stared up at the night sky from his sitting position in the sand, Yuugi couldn't help but reflect on how empty he felt. And it was only his first night without Atemu.

* * *

"_Isn't this nice, Yuugi?" Atemu whispered gently, a smile on his face as he threw an arm around Yuugi's waist._

_Yuugi smiled back. "Yeah…" he mumbled, happy but a little embarrassed. _

_It was the first night Yuugi had ever laid in the same bed with someone, and instead of the mortification he had always expected__,__ all he felt was peace. _

_He really did love Atemu._

_Yuugi threw his own arm around Atemu's waist and snuggled his head into Atemu's shoulder. _

_The bed and sheets made it feel like he was sleeping on a cloud, but Yuugi knew he would have felt just the same if the two of them were lying on a bed of rocks. _

_As long as he was with Atemu, he was happy. _

* * *

Yuugi's eyes slowly opened, unwilling to wake up and leave the nice dream and memory behind. But from the sound of walking feet, he knew he needed to get up.

Yuugi got to his feet and followed the crowd of people to courtyard of the palace, making sure the hood of his cloak was fully obscuring his face.

The grounds of the palace were completely packed when Yuugi arrived. He was one of the last few stragglers, it seemed. He looked around, trying to spot Jonouchi but to no avail. It was impossible to find anyone in such a huge crowd.

Just when people in the crowd were starting to mumble, wondering where the Pharaoh was, the sun finished rising over the horizon and Yuugi saw him.

Atemu stepped out of his palace and onto the high balcony overlooking the people. From were Yuugi was way in the back it was a little hard to see him, but he still felt an amount of longing that was almost staggering. He missed Atemu so much…

A hush fell upon the people, and Atemu spoke, his voice echoing across the wide expanse of area with practiced ease, "My people, I speak to you today due to the loss of something important to me."

Yuugi's eyes widened. He couldn't be… He _wouldn't_ be…

"If he is found, Mutou Yuugi is to be brought to me immediately. The one who brings him in will be rewarded handsomely. On the other hand, if someone is found to be aiding or helping him in any way…" Atemu paused and lifted a hand.

At the command, two burly guards walked out. However, that didn't concern him as much as what—or rather _who_—the guards were carrying.

Yuugi's eyes widened, and a cold feeling gripped his heart. "Jonouchi…" he whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.

Jonouchi was knocked out cold from the looks of it. He wasn't moving at all, and for a wild moment Yuugi feared he was dead. But no, Atemu… Atemu wouldn't do that…

"A golden armband belonging to Mutou Yuugi was found in this Jonouchi Katsuya's house, and as such he has been taken into custody and will be suitably punished. The same will happen to anyone else who doesn't do as I, your Pharaoh, command." Though he spoke with no inflection, there was something off about Atemu's voice. But Yuugi, fighting back tears, was too distressed to notice.

Atemu lifted his arm again, and Jonouchi was carried away. Yuugi let out a small sob.

"Finally," Atemu said, and Yuugi absolutely dreaded to hear what he was about to say now, "if Mutou Yuugi isn't brought to me in three days' time… there _will_ be consequences."

Finished speaking, Atemu did one final sweep of the crowd with his eyes before turning and heading back into his palace.

All at once, the crowd seemed to breath. The people began to file out, most of them sending distrustful looks at each other. For the longest time, Yuugi was rooted to the spot. He wanted to move, to do something, but he couldn't. Finally, when he noticed how thin the crowd was getting, he forced himself to move. He needed to get out.

When he was safely away, Yuugi allowed himself to turn back and look at the palace.

Standing tall, he made his decision.

He would rescue Jonouchi.

* * *

**A/N**: I really finished this chapter quickly. o.o I'm on a roll. Woohoo! Hopefully this makes up for how long it took me to finish writing the last chapter.

Maybe?

*dodges tomatoes*

~Riuolo


	5. Chapter 5

**-Every Step-**

Chapter Five

Now that everyone was on the lookout for him, it was even harder for Yuugi to move as he pleased. He wasn't quite sure what Atemu was planning, honestly. Sure, now there were more people looking for him, but it didn't seem that everyone had his or Atemu's best interests at heart.

"Heh, if I find that boy the Pharaoh's looking for, I might be willing to give him back... Depending on what he's offering."

"Boss, you..."

"What? Seems he's pretty important. I could always mess him up good for extra... incentive."

It wasn't uncommon for Yuugi to hear such boasts as he passed through some of the rougher parts of the city. Yuugi shivered a little, clutching his cloak closer to himself. If he slipped up and revealed who he was in a place like this, it probably wouldn't turn out well for him.

Yuugi couldn't leave where he was, though. There were too many people who knew him in the nicer parts of town, not to mention more guards. Here, people tended not to ask many questions.

Yuugi looked towards the ever-looming palace, bile rising in his throat as he stared. He needed to move fast and get Jonouchi, but he knew he couldn't recklessly rush in. Atemu always had a plan up his sleeve, and Yuugi wasn't about to fall right into it. Atemu was good at games, but so was Yuugi. This would be a game Yuugi would win, because he had to. He had to for Jonouchi, himself, and most importantly for Atemu himself.

But why couldn't Atemu just accept Yuugi's decision? He knew he hadn't explained anything to Atemu before he had abruptly left, but he was doing everything for Atemu's sake. Couldn't Atemu just trust him? It wasn't like he had wanted to leave...

Yuugi shook his head, shaking himself from his thoughts. He couldn't think of such things right now. Atemu had made his move—Yuugi's heart sunk as he remembered it—and now it was Yuugi's turn.

But what could he do? He stared at the palace in the distance, his brow furrowed in concentration.

The most obvious solution was to sneak back in, get Jonouchi, and get back out. But Yuugi was sure that Jonouchi was being guarded, and Atemu was probably anticipating such a move. Besides, sneaking in would be harder than sneaking out had been, and he had nearly been caught when he was trying to get out.

Another option was to turn himself in so he could speak to Atemu and make Atemu realize that his going away was for the best. After all, a small part of him noted, him just disappearing wasn't fair to Atemu. Atemu deserved more than that, and if it would sooth his worries then all the better.

But Yuugi had to remind himself just why he had left without talking to Atemu in the first place. He didn't want Atemu to feel like it was his entire fault or try and tell Yuugi that his own safety didn't matter. Atemu was very selfless, and Yuugi knew he would try and take some blame when really it was Yuugi who was to blame. Yuugi didn't want Atemu feeling like that. Besides, what if Atemu tried to keep him there out of some sense of protection? There wasn't much Yuugi could do against the palace guards.

Surely there was a third option, but what?

"There he is!"

Yuugi jumped and whirled around, frantically looking around. Had they really found him already? He had been so careful!

But the guards ran right past him, not even sparing his hooded form a second glance. Yuugi turned towards where they were running and saw a familiar flash of white out of the corner of his eye. It couldn't be!

A loud laugh reverberated throughout the area, and Yuugi realized that yes, it was indeed…

"Thief King Bakura, halt!" a guard shouted, the spear in his hand raised threateningly.

But Bakura only laughed. Yuugi, scared as he recalled their first meeting and terrified of being recognized by Bakura, started to step back so he could hurry away when he noticed something else.

Standing behind Bakura, mostly hidden by his body, was the palace servant from earlier who had helped him get away and ended up captured. What was he doing here?

The boy, seeming to sense he was being watched, peeked around Bakura and spotted Yuugi. Their eyes met and adrenaline coursed through Yuugi's body, making him want to run. From the way his eyes widened, Yuugi could tell the servant recognized him, too.

The servant placed a finger to his lips, signaling for Yuugi to be silent. Yuugi tried to relax and remind himself that this person had helped him before, but it was hard to when he knew so many people were after him.

Then, with a grand sweeping movement, both Bakura and the servant were gone. Yuugi blinked, unable to believe his eyes. What had just happened?

The guards let out frustrated shouts, and Yuugi knew it was time for him to get away. As he hurried down an alleyway, he mentally rejoiced in the fact that the servant who had helped him seemed okay. Thank goodness… thank goodness…

* * *

It was a few days later, and Yuugi still hadn't figured out how he was going to both get Atemu to leave him alone and rescue Jonouchi. He only had until the end of the day until Atemu did something… something Yuugi wasn't sure of, but something Atemu's words had promised he wouldn't like.

He was still stumped. He needed to move carefully around Atemu. Atemu was a tough opponent, indeed. He had a strong wit, and seemingly infinite resources.

So caught up in his thoughts was he, Yuugi was unprepared when a weathered hand suddenly latched on to his ankle with a vice-like grip. Yuugi let out a shout, but he was only met with haggard laughter.

"Well, look what we have here!" the older woman seemed to cackle, her grip on his ankle unrelenting. Sitting against the wall of a mud brick house, she looked worn out and worse for wear, but the way she grinned sent shivers down Yuugi's spine. "Isn't this who the Pharaoh was looking for?"

Yuugi's body shivered with fear, and he frantically shook his head. "I don't…"

"I can see past that hood of yours from where I'm sitting, boy," she said, cackling again. "Your resemblance to the Pharaoh is as uncanny as they say."

A few feet away, another group of beggars looked towards the commotion. A few of them stood, and the one closest to them repeated, "The boy the Pharaoh is looking for?"

This wasn't good. With a final tug, Yuugi's foot was released and he backed up, but it was too late. He was surrounded on all sides.

"I won't have to worry anymore…"

"Someone find one of the guards!"

"The Pharaoh said there would be a reward…"

Yuugi was scared. What were these people going to do to him? He couldn't go back to Atemu!

One of the men reached out to grab him, but Yuugi managed to duck out of his reach just in time. He stumbled backwards, unfortunately right into the killer grip of the woman who had originally spotted him.

She grinned down at him. "I can't wait to see how much we get for you."

"Give him to me!"

The woman's head snapped up and the group turned to look at the intruder. A collective hush fell over them as they took in the form of the masked Thief King Bakura, his shockingly white hair undeniable. The woman's grip on Yuugi loosened, and the whispers began.

Bakura stepped towards Yuugi, his plain, white mask unnerving. Many of the people, terrified of what they knew he was capable of, jumped out of the way and created the opening he needed. He grabbed Yuugi by the arm and dragged him away.

If Yuugi thought he was scared before, it was nothing compared to how he felt then. The Thief King Bakura had him! The first and last time they had met he had tried to _kill_ Yuugi! He tried to wrench his arm away and run, but was unsuccessful.

"Stop that!" Yuugi's captor whispered frantically. They turned a corner, and the thief slid his mask off. "It's me!"

Yuugi's eyes widened. It was the servant from before! "What?" Yuugi said, disbelieving. "But you…! I thought…!"

The servant only nodded. "I'm sorry I tricked you like that, but I knew it would be easier to get you if they thought I was Bakura, and since I look so much like him…" He looked flustered and embarrassed.

Yuugi shook his head, confused. "Thank you, but… Why are you doing so much to help me?"

"I—"

"Stop those two!"

They both whipped around and quickly spotted several guards running in their direction. Yuugi and his rescuer looked at each other, eyes wide. "Follow me! Run!" the servant said, grabbing Yuugi's wrist and taking off. It was all Yuugi could do to keep up.

Yuugi wasn't sure how long they had been running, but by the time they finally ducked into a side alley he was completely out of breath and felt like he about to fall over. The other boy was also winded, though not as much.

"I think we're safe," the servant said, hesitantly peeking around the corner. "I don't see them anymore, though we should probably stay here for a little while just in case. They're not usually that persistent." He frowned.

Yuugi nodded and sat against a wall, trying to regain his breath. Though he looked a little wary, the other boy soon followed his lead.

"I don't think I ever introduced myself," he said shyly. Yuugi could tell he was trying to lighten the mood a bit and cheer him up. "My name is Ryou."

Yuugi smiled slightly. "I'm Yuugi."

Ryou smiled back. "I don't think there's anyone who doesn't know who you are right now," he said quietly.

Yuugi didn't quite know how to respond to that, and for a while they sat in silence. Yuugi squirmed a bit as he recalled a question that had been bothering him, and when he finally couldn't take it any longer he asked, "What happened? After, well, you know…" After he had helped Yuugi and been taken by the Thief King.

Ryou looked hesitant, and finally just shrugged.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," Yuugi replied sincerely. Ryou smiled at him.

"Thank you. Now listen, we really need to get you away from here. I don't know how you've gone so long without being spotted, but nowhere around here is safe for you," Ryou said, standing back up.

Yuugi mimicked the motion, ignoring the way his body demanded he sit back down and rest some more. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused. He knew he was a wanted guy, but he hadn't had too much trouble, save for the incident that Ryou had just gotten him away from.

"The Pharaoh's guards have begun to ransack many buildings and hideouts looking for you, and now that you've given your position away I'm sure they'll be swarming the area soon," Ryou explained. "You're not the most loved person with the people of the town right now because of what the guards have been doing to find you."

A horrible feeling settled into the pit of Yuugi's stomach. What? No, Atemu would never… "What have they been doing?" he asked, though he dreaded hearing the answer.

Ryou shook his head. It was probably better if Yuugi didn't know, so it was time to redirect the subject. "Don't worry about that right now. We really need to get you away. I'm not quite sure where to take you, though," he mumbled the last part, looking frustrated.

Though Yuugi nodded, he was unsure. "I can't just go away, though," he said, looking at the ground. "He has my friend."

"We'll worry about that later," Ryou promised, his voice sympathetic. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be in Yuugi's place at that moment. "Now—"

A loud clattering echoed through the alley, the noise entirely too close for comfort. Both Yuugi and Ryou froze, and then the noise abruptly stopped.

Ryou frowned. "Stay here and be quiet. I'll go and see what it is."

Yuugi bit his lip, wanting desperately to protest, but nodded. He knew he could trust Ryou—the guy had already saved him many times, after all. Yuugi didn't even want to think of where he'd be without him.

Ryou took off after the noise, his steps light and impressively silent. Yuugi stayed put like he was told, nervously waiting for him to come back. He wasn't sure if it was just his nerves or not, but it seemed like it was taking Ryou an awfully long time…

Yuugi became more anxious with each passing minute. It had been too long. Wasn't Ryou coming back? He looked to where he had last seen Ryou, worried.

Suddenly, from the opposite direction, Yuugi heard shouts. He hesitated, remembering Ryou's order to stay where he was, but the shouting kept getting louder. What was going on?

Yuugi moved towards the noise, telling himself he would be right back. He needed to see what was happening.

Yuugi peeked out of his hiding area, and what he saw nearly made his heart stop.

Before him were an almost countless number of palace guards ransacking the area. Everything was a flurry of motion, and it was impossible to focus on just one thing at a time. All around him, people shouted as they were forcibly removed from their homes, as others who protested were kicked to the ground, and even beaten. Everywhere things were being torn up, and the guards didn't even seem to care about who stood in their way.

Horrific realization sunk into Yuugi's very bones. He felt sick, and nearly vomited.

He had to stop this!

He sprang and started to run out—to give himself up—when a hand harshly grabbed his wrist. Yuugi fought against the hold, twisting around to see a wide-eyed Ryou holding onto him.

"Yuugi, no! We need to get away!" Ryou yelled, tugging at Yuugi to try and get him to follow him back down the alley.

"No! I need to stop this!" Yuugi yelled back, still fighting the hold. "I—"

"YUUGI!"

Yuugi's mouth dropped open, and his horror increased tenfold.

_That was Jonouchi's voice!_

"YUUGI, HELP ME!"

"JONOUCHI!" Yuugi screamed, finally breaking free of Ryou's hold. He didn't stop to think of why Jonouchi would be there and, deaf to Ryou's cries, ran out into the fray…

…And right into Atemu's waiting grasp.

The last thing Yuugi saw before he blacked out was the millennium puzzle's dark glow.

* * *

Atemu stared down at the precious bundle in his arms, a victorious smile on his face. Of course, he had won. He always won.

He took a moment to stroke Yuugi's cheek, reveling in the feeling of _wholeness_ that swept over him. He hadn't felt whole since Yuugi had disappeared.

_Mine… _My_ light…_

Clutching Yuugi tightly to his chest, Atemu signaled to his men that he was leaving. One of the more high-ranking guards was quick to speak up before he got too far, though.

"Sir, the people in this area are starting to revolt. What do you want us to do?"

Atemu glanced over his shoulder at the man, looking indifferent. This was the area where his light had been hiding from him, wasn't it? Then there was only option.

"Burn it to the ground."

* * *

**A/N**: As I was writing this, I had to stop and think about just how many liberties I was taking with the Ancient Egyptian time period. I do a little bit of research of course, but mostly I'm just pulling stuff out of my butt for the sake of the story. How many people, I wondered, were sighing and shaking their heads at my poorly thrown together excuse of an Ancient Egyptian setting?

But then I thought, eh, screw it, and continued typing. I'm already too far into my horrible setting to stop. xD Forgive meeee! I hope you'll overlook any mistakes with the setting. I'll try and do better next time.

Anyway, I want to apologize for how long this chapter took. A few keys on my old laptop stopped working, and though I was able to plug a separate keyboard into it I didn't really feel like writing much with the way it was set up. But I just got my new laptop in the mail on Thursday, and now I'm good to go! It's a Macbook Pro. I love it. *cuddles new laptop*


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: **We're getting into some **non-con/dub-con** territory. I repeat, **attempted non-con/dub-con is ahead**. I really don't want to trigger or squick anyone, so please turn back if such content is upsetting to you.

**Every Step  
****-Chapter Six-**

"_Wow! Pharaoh, this is your garden? It's so beautiful!" Yuugi exclaimed, eyes practically sparkling as he examined the area. Indeed, he had never seen a sight like the one before him. In an area bigger than he thought possible stood countless majestic date palms and fruit trees all centered around the largest fish pond he had ever seen in his life. From where he was, he could see ducks and lotuses floating prettily above the waters, a sight he just knew he could watch all day if given the chance. _

_Atemu stood beside Yuugi, a gentle smile on his face as he took in Yuugi's expression. "I'm happy that it pleases you," he replied._

_Yuugi smiled widely back at him, shifting from foot to foot as he fought the urge to run off and explore the beautiful area. "Can we go look around?" he asked, his excitement nearly palpable. _

"_Of course," Atemu said, chuckling. _

_Yuugi let out a happy noise before scurrying over to a cluster of trees. Atemu trailed behind him, content to take his time and bask in Yuugi's joy. The little one made the cutest faces sometimes. _

_They both walked around for a while to take in the sights. By the time Yuugi and Atemu finally sat down beside the fishpond, it was very nearly sunset. _

_Yuugi wrapped an arm around his legs and rested his head on his knees before glancing shyly at Atemu. In the light of the sunset, he couldn't help but wonder at how regal and confident Atemu looked. It was obvious why he was called the Great Pharaoh. _

_Yuugi was startled out of his thoughts when he felt fingers lacing through his own, and he looked down to see Atemu's fingers slyly intertwining with his. Immediately, a strange surge of warmth seemed to spread through him, and Yuugi had to resist the urge to blush. _

"_Pharaoh…" Yuugi whispered. He looked back up from their fingers to Atemu's expression, and this time he couldn't stop the slight blush as he saw Atemu's smiling face. Atemu had a nice smile. _

_Without a word, Atemu leaned over and claimed Yuugi's lips in a kiss. It was soft and sweet, and Yuugi could practically feel himself melting into a puddle of love struck goo. Something seemed to tug strangely at the back of his mind, and in response he could feel himself drawing even closer to Atemu._

_As Yuugi moved, their noses bumped awkwardly together and Atemu finally pulled back. For a moment, they stared at each other. Then, finally, Yuugi smiled at him. Atemu returned the smile, and both of them laughed softly. _

_It was their first kiss, and as far as Yuugi was concerned it was perfect._

* * *

It wasn't until several hours later that Yuugi woke up again, disoriented. His head hurt like no other, and he found it hard to concentrate on anything besides the pain.

He let out a groan. What was going on? He couldn't remember… Something didn't seem right, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was.

Yuugi forced himself to concentrate, and that was when he felt it. Fingers—or what he assumed to be fingers anyway, as his eyes were still screwed firmly shut due to his killer headache—were slowly weaving in and out of his hair, stroking his yellow bangs softly. The touch was achingly familiar, causing Yuugi's eyes to snap open in surprise.

This proved to be a bad move, as white spots immediately began to cloud his vision. The hands running through his hair abruptly stopped, and then Yuugi rolled over and saw him.

_Atemu_.

Yuugi's eyes widened, but before he could say anything Atemu's head reached out and covered his mouth.

"For now, Yuugi, please be silent," Atemu murmured, the same gentle smile Yuugi was used to seeing from him playing on his lips. Somehow, it didn't have the same reassuring effect it usually had on Yuugi—quite the opposite.

Yuugi gulped. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

After a long moment, Atemu lowered his hand, seemingly pleased when Yuugi remained silent. "Good," he said in that same strange, quiet tone.

Yuugi looked frantically around, his headache all but forgotten. It seemed he was back in Atemu's room, the very place he had escaped out of only days before. What was he doing here? He wasn't supposed to be here!

Atemu wrapped his arms around Yuugi's waist, and Yuugi could feel himself panicking. He tried to move—to yank himself away—but something held him in place. He looked up, and his mouth dropped open.

His hands were tied by a short cord to the leg of the bed!

"Atemu—!" Yuugi exclaimed, frantically pulling at the rope that bound his hands in an effort to loosen them. If anything, they only became tighter.

Atemu cut him off with a, "Shh," before placing his hand over Yuugi's mouth again. "Be silent, Yuugi," he said again.

But Yuugi wasn't about to sit back and be quiet. He shook his head frantically, and when Atemu didn't lift his hand from Yuugi's mouth Yuugi bit him.

Atemu let out a low hiss of pain before instinctually withdrawing his hand. He shot Yuugi a vaguely disapproving look, but before he could say anything Yuugi yelled, "What am I doing here?"

Atemu frowned at him. "Yuugi, I'd rather not talk right now," he said, gently stroking Yuugi's abdomen. "Can't we just enjoy our reunion?"

"No!" Yuugi said immediately, trying to twist out of Atemu's suddenly vice-like hold, but to no avail. "Tell me what I'm doing here!"

Atemu looked at him as if he were being silly, and Yuugi hated it. "Yuugi, the answer to that is obvious," Atemu finally replied. "You're here with me because you belong here."

Before Atemu even finished his sentence, Yuugi was shaking his head in denial. "I don't! I don't belong here, that's why I left!" he yelled. "Let me go!"

Yuugi would have kept yelling and making a ruckus, but the look Atemu suddenly gave him stopped him right in his tracks. Atemu suddenly looked so angry, so dangerous… Yuugi could feel his blood running cold.

Atemu had never looked at him like that before.

It was almost enough to make Yuugi want to cry.

"_Be silent_," Atemu said again, his voice more angry than Yuugi had ever heard it. Immediately, Yuugi's mouth closed and he became limp in Atemu's arms, too scared to even blink.

This wasn't the Atemu he knew.

The two laid in silence for a long time. While Yuugi tried to make himself as small as possible, Atemu was content to rest in his head against Yuugi's shoulder and eventually fell asleep. But even as Atemu's breathing evened out, the steel-like grip in Yuugi's waist didn't loosen a bit. He wasn't going anywhere.

Yuugi let out a shaky breath. "What's happening?" he mumbled to himself. "I don't want to be here. I shouldn't be here." Anywhere was better than where he was. He'd gladly travel to the ends of the earth if it meant never having to see that look in Atemu's eyes ever again.

"And why is that?"

If the arms around him hadn't tightened impossibly more, Yuugi would have jumped a foot in the air. Atemu was awake?! Yuugi looked at him fearfully, and his eyes were indeed open—that very same look present in them that crushed Yuugi's heart.

"I heard from some of my guards," Atemu began, his voice cold, "that while you were away, you were spotted with someone who looked suspiciously like that lowly thief."

It was then that it hit Yuugi that Atemu wasn't entirely looking at him with that expression, exactly. It was almost like he was glaring down some unknown enemy that Yuugi couldn't see. Yuugi suddenly couldn't find the words to reply to him.

"So? Is that the reason you left? Tell me, Yuugi, what did he bribe you with?" Atemu was suddenly on top of him, his hands on either side of Yuugi's head as he leaned down so close that some hysterical part of Yuugi wondered if he was going to kiss him.

But even as his mind cried out that no, that wasn't the reason he had left, Yuugi still couldn't form the words to speak.

Atemu looked mildly disappointed in him. "You were so talkative earlier," he commented.

Finally, Yuugi found his voice. "No, Atemu, that really isn't it at all!"

"Lies!" Atemu hissed, grabbing at Yuugi's arms and looking as if he wanted to shake him. "If it wasn't because he threatened you, then why? There's no other explanation!"

"I did it for you!" Yuugi cried out, but before he could say anything else Atemu interrupted again.

"So he threatened to kill me?" Atemu laughed lowly. "Yuugi, you should know better than to believe he could accomplish something like that."

"No!" Yuugi exclaimed again, but then hesitated. Would Atemu even listen to him if he told him the truth? Would telling him make things worse? Looking at Atemu, he couldn't help but think it would.

"Then…" Atemu's cold look took a turn for the worse—he suddenly looked absolutely murderous, "Yuugi, did he seduce you?"

Yuugi was shocked into silence. Was Atemu accusing him of cheating on him? He would never! He loved Atemu too much!

Unfortunately, Atemu seemed to take Yuugi's shocked silence as a yes. The strange power from before seemed to burst from Atemu, and close to them a priceless vase shattered into thousands of pieces. Yuugi screamed in fright.

Then, the dark power was around him; trapping him, making him feel more helpless than he ever had in his entire life.

Atemu was shaking in anger. "No!" he bit out, gripping Yuugi so hard he was sure to bruise. His eyes flashed. "You're mine," he began muttering, over and over. "You're mine, my light. No, no, no!"

Atemu leaned down and bit the juncture of Yuugi's neck and shoulder, startling him. It then hit Yuugi in a moment of clarity that Atemu was trying to mark him.

When Atemu looked back up at Yuugi, he looked half-insane. "Did that thief do this to you? Did he touch you like this, too?" Atemu grabbed vulgarly at Yuugi's dick, making him jump.

"No! Never!" Yuugi cried out, begging Atemu to believe him. Cheating on him with anyone had never even crossed Yuugi's mind!

"More lies," Atemu accused harshly, his eyes narrowing. The darkness swirled faster around them. "No matter. I'll make sure this never happens again. It seems I've been too lenient with you, but now I have no choice but to make you realize…" Then Atemu broke off into dark mumbling, and Yuugi honestly feared for Atemu's mental well-being.

Atemu began to shrug off his expensive clothes, and what he intended to do hit Yuugi like a ton of bricks. "Wait, Atemu! You have to listen to me!" Yuugi exclaimed frantically.

But it didn't seem Atemu was much inclined to listen at that moment. Instead, Atemu's hands moved to lightly brush Yuugi's nipples, causing Yuugi to let out an involuntary moan.

Atemu smiled at him, and for a moment Yuugi thought he saw the Atemu he knew. But then he said, "You'll never leave me again."

Yuugi shivered. No, this still wasn't his Atemu.

His Atemu wouldn't ever do this. His Atemu was kind and noble and sweet. With his Atemu, he enjoyed making love, but this made him feel sick. This wasn't love at all!

Atemu set to work on making more hickeys on Yuugi's chest, and Yuugi could feel the telltale erection pressed against his thigh. Around him, the darkness was deceptively soothing, and Yuugi felt like he could fall into it if he wasn't careful.

Yuugi's breathing grew labored; his mewls of pleasure louder, as Atemu played his body with the perfection only a skilled lover could accomplish. Atemu had the advantage in that regard—after all of their time together, he knew Yuugi's body very well.

But still, Yuugi resisted. Inside, he repeated over and over to himself, _I need to explain everything to him… _But outside, all he could manage were some breathy 'no's. He felt trapped in his own body.

It was when Yuugi felt the hard erection begin to guide itself towards his entrance that some of his sanity returned to him. "Stop!" Yuugi yelled.

And, miraculously, Atemu did. Yuugi nearly sobbed in relief.

Hands shaking violently, Yuugi reached up—when had his hands become free? He hadn't even noticed—and gently touched Atemu's face. "I love you so, so much, Atemu," he confessed. "I love you so much sometimes it feels like my heart is going to burst from its chest, but Atemu… If I stay here with you, at best I'll be a burden and at worst I'll end up killing you or hurting the country." The memory of Atemu risking his life to save him from Thief King Bakura was all but burned into Yuugi's mind.

When Atemu didn't say anything, only stared at him, Yuugi knew to take his silence as a sign to continue. "That incident is proof enough. Atemu, because of me you were hurt! And that's not all. Before that, I overheard a conversation. I heard that because of me, you've been neglecting your duties! Do you know what could happen if you do that?"

Suddenly, Atemu's eyes darkened, and Yuugi heard something else in the room shatter. "My cousin," he growled out, lunging out of the bed and throwing his clothes back on.

Alarmed, Yuugi tried to sit up, but the shadows held him again. "What? This doesn't have anything to do with Priest Seth!"

Atemu laughed darkly. "I know exactly whose conversation you must have overheard, little one."

Yuugi felt his blood run cold.

"No!" he protested, but it was already too late. Atemu only paused for a moment in the doorway, turning halfway to glance at Yuugi.

"Stay put here. I'll be back shortly," he said, and then he was gone.

Alone with no one but the shadows that restrained him, Yuugi finally broke down and gave in to the urge to cry.

* * *

**A/N:** Woo, another chapter! It only took me a month, right? =3= Ehhh, oh well.

Don't worry, Atemu's OOC-ness will be explained eventually. There are several things that need to happen before we can get to that point, though. So for now, Atemu will remain a huge, gigantic asshole. Please forgive me! Believe me, I want to slap him into oblivion, too!

In other news, I think I might start another SasuNaru multi-chapter fic soon. I'm really in the mood to write some SasuNaru. I'll probably wait until I get closer to the end of this fanfiction, though.

In other, _other_ news, this is my first chapter in over a year without a beta. T^T (Chibi, have fun running around the strange and mysterious real world, bb 3) Oh, well. If you see any grammar or spelling mistakes, sorry! I did my best to catch them, I swear.

Anyway, for all of you still keeping up with this, much love and thanks for reading! *blows kiss*


	7. Chapter 7

**Every Step  
****-Chapter Seven-**

Yuugi stared sadly out the window of Atemu's room, looking but not really seeing the splendor of the scenery. Around him, he could feel the shadows staring at him, making him feel unnerved even as he ignored them. The tears in his eyes had long since dried, and he wasn't about to show any other form of weakness if he could help it.

Jonouchi was gone, Ryou was probably fed up with him, what had happened after he blacked out after being found was a mystery to Yuugi, and even Priest Seth had been locked away, or so Atemu had told him.

Yuugi had absolutely no idea what had happened to Atemu. When he had left nothing had been amiss with his Pharaoh, but now that he was back it seemed like everything was wrong. He wanted answers, but they were hard to come by since he wasn't allowed out of the room. He hadn't been allowed to even look at anyone besides Atemu, and as the time passed by he felt more and more lonely and depressed.

He had tried escaping again, just once. It was the dead of night, Atemu had gone to speak with some of the priests and Yuugi, desperately wanting to find Jonouchi and even Priest Seth and get out of the palace, had hesitantly tried sneaking out the window. He had wanted to take the passage like he had before, but earlier in the day he'd seen guards regularly walking by the passage's exit and had decided not to take the chance.

His plan had been to wait until it was too dark for anyone to spot him and climb down in a pattern he had already mapped out in his head. After that, all he had to do was make it to the dungeons, find everyone, and get out. Unfortunately, he had been doomed from the start.

As soon as he began to climb out the window, the shadows around him had seemed to hiss. Yuugi had thought he was hallucinating it, but no more than thirty seconds later Atemu had burst into the room and thrown him back inside. He had been so angry, Yuugi was terrified to try it again.

After that, Yuugi began to watch the shadows more closely. Though he wasn't sure how, he was certain they were somehow alive and watching him. Yuugi knew that Atemu was well versed in shadow magic, but this was something else entirely. Yuugi didn't know what this was.

Yuugi looked down at his lap and his clenched fists. This wasn't right. Nothing about the situation was right. He hated the way Atemu was making him feel—helpless, alone, and terrified. He was a _man_, damn it, Atemu had no right to make him feel this way.

_But he does have a right,_ a traitorous voice seemed to whisper in Yuugi's ear._ He's your Pharaoh, your lover, your _God. _You peasant, he can do whatever he so chooses with you. _

Yuugi shook his head. He had been raised from birth with the knowledge that he must put the Pharaoh above all others, but that was different. Wasn't it?

_It's not,_ the voice whispered again. _Obey your Pharaoh, or face the consequences from the Gods themselves._

Everything he had done was for Atemu!

_Obey…_

"No!" Yuugi yelled, jumping up. Immediately, the voice disappeared. Yuugi looked wildly around the room, but no one was there. He could feel his body shaking, and he wondered what was wrong with him. Was he hearing things? Maybe he really had been cooped up in this room for too long. It was making him crazy.

He let out a shaky breath and slumped back into his seat.

He would make everything right again. He had to.

* * *

When Atemu came back to their shared room that night, Yuugi ignored him like he had since Atemu had nearly taken him against his will. As usual this didn't seem to faze Atemu, but something seemed off about him; even more so than usual.

From his place beside the window where he had stubbornly situated himself at, Yuugi watched out of the corner of his eye as Atemu paced around the room, his brow furrowed and a deep set frown on his face.

Yuugi hesitated, shook his head, and against his better judgment asked, "Did something happen?" He hated how small his voice was, but he ignored it. Maybe he'd finally learn something about what was going on.

But Atemu only kept pacing. Just when Yuugi, unsure if Atemu had heard him, was about to repeat his question, Atemu gritted out out, "It's all lies."

This only made Yuugi even more confused. "Lies?" he asked.

At this, Atemu's head snapped to look at Yuugi, who determinedly met his gaze with one of his own. If this was what he needed to do to figure out what was happening then he wasn't going to back down, not when Jonouchi and Priest Seth were in danger because of him.

For a while, Atemu seemed to appraise him. Yuugi wasn't sure what he was looking for in him, but whatever it was Atemu didn't seem to find it because he brushed him off with a, "It's none of your concern, little one."

"None of my concern?" Yuugi repeated, mouth dropping open. The man kept him trapped, didn't allow him to see even the servants that brought him food, had almost _raped_ him, and it 'wasn't his concern'?

"Go to sleep, Yuugi. It's late," Atemu replied, taking off some of his heavy jewelry so that he could relax and follow his own advice.

Yuugi shook. His instincts screamed at him to back down, but he didn't allow himself to. An image of Jonouchi flashed through his mind, so he squared his shoulders and stepped forward. "Where is Jonouchi?" he demanded. He wasn't about to dance around the subject.

Atemu stiffened and his eyes hardened. "You will not ask me that again," he ordered, his voice saturated with all of his years of authority. He wasn't Pharaoh for nothing.

But now that he'd started, Yuugi wasn't about to stop. "Have you been hurting him?"

"That is _enough_, Yu—"

"Who are you?" Yuugi cried out, desperately trying to fight off the swirling emotions in his belly and failing miserably. "You're not Atemu! You're not!"

Atemu scoffed at him. "Stop being so foolish and rest. I won't ask you again, Yuugi."

"I won't, you imposter!" Yuugi clutched at the hem of his clothes, trying to keep himself strong.

But then Atemu took a menacing step towards him, and all at once the memories from a few nights ago swirled in Yuugi's mind. Yuugi shouted in sudden terror, his eyes widening as fear got the better of him. He fell to the floor, holding himself as he watched Atemu with panic. He didn't want _this_ Atemu to touch him! What if he didn't stop this time? No!

This seemed to deeply startle Atemu. He blinked in confusion, and for a split second Yuugi could have sworn he saw the Atemu he loved. "Yuugi?" Atemu said, sounding a little disoriented to Yuugi's ears.

"Atemu!" Yuugi cried out in relief. It was him!

But then the moment passed, and to Yuugi's dismay he saw Atemu's expression twist into an ugly scowl.

"My condolences if it displeases you, but I assure you that this is me," Atemu said lowly. With that, he turned and stalked out of the room.

Yuugi slumped, feeling defeated. He was so sure… So sure… Had his eyes been playing tricks on him?

Depressed, he got into bed and settled in for a sleepless night.

* * *

As the days passed by, Yuugi found himself slipping deeper and deeper into depression. The deeper he fell, the louder the voice got.

_Look at how pathetic you are, peasant. _

Yuugi brought a hand up to his mouth to stifle a sob. The voice was getting to him, slowly wearing down his defenses, no matter how much he fought against it.

_You should be grateful to the Pharaoh for taking such good care of you. You're so useless, all you can do is cry and cower. If the Pharaoh wasn't taking care of you, who knows where you'd be? _

Yuugi shook. That wasn't how it was! It wasn't… It…

_If you continue like this, the Pharaoh will only grow to hate you. _

Against his better judgment, Yuugi looked at the man who was holding him as he slept. Atemu's iron-like grip around his waist was as unrelenting as always.

_Your best friend is locked away, and it's your entire fault. _

The mention of Jonouchi was like a punch to Yuugi's gut. He hoped Jonouchi was okay so, so much. He didn't know what he'd do if he wasn't.

_There's no doubt that your best friend now resents you._

This was how all of Yuugi's nights were spent. During the day he'd wander about Atemu's room, and at night… At night, Atemu would hold him like his life depended on it and Yuugi would lay awake as the voice talked to him, haunting his thoughts.

Yuugi was just so tired.

And the voice was making so much sense.

Yuugi determinedly shook his head. He needed to snap out of it!

_Listen to the Pharaoh; he knows what's best for you. _

No…

Before Yuugi knew it, the morning sun's light was filling the room. He watched as Atemu's eyes opened, and when he smiled at him Yuugi could only stare. He was so tired.

Atemu frowned at him when Yuugi didn't respond, but sat up. He moved Yuugi into his lap, petting his lover's hair comfortingly.

"What's wrong, Yuugi?" Atemu asked in a murmur, sounding so sweet it almost made Yuugi want to hug him.

No, he couldn't…

…Why couldn't he, again? Atemu was so nice to him, and took such good care of him...

No, no, _no_!

"Nothing's wrong," Yuugi said after a moment.

Atemu was frowning disapprovingly at him again, and it made Yuugi feel sad. He didn't like it when Atemu was upset with him.

…What?

"Love," Atemu said, snapping Yuugi from his thoughts, "please tell me? I'll make it all better for you."

Yuugi knew Atemu would. Atemu was so nice to him.

_Maybe if you gave in to him, the Pharaoh would let your friend go._

Ah, the voice again. Or was it his own thoughts? He couldn't tell anymore.

Finally, Yuugi said, "Jonouchi…"

"Now, now," Atemu chastised. "I told you I didn't want you talking about him."

Yuugi closed his mouth.

"You know, love, you've been having awfully good behavior lately," Atemu said, the happy smile on his face extremely beautiful to Yuugi. "How about a reward? It might cheer you up."

Yuugi perked up a bit. "A reward?"

"Yes," Atemu said with a nod. "Instead of you eating alone in our room today, how about you join me for lunch in the garden?"

Yuugi smiled in response. "I… I'd like that," he confessed.

Atemu looked very pleased to hear this. "Go ahead and get ready for the day, and I'll come and get you when it's time to eat. We'll walk to the garden together."

Yuugi nodded, slowly sitting up from Atemu's lap. Atemu dressed, gave Yuugi one last smile, and then left to go and talk with some of his advisors. As he left, Yuugi felt the sadness of being alone again, but comforted himself with the thought that he would be with Atemu again soon.

Honestly, he couldn't even remember why he had left before. To actually want to leave Atemu was insanity.

He was so lucky he had Atemu. He loved him so much.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't know why the chapters for this story are so short. They just kind of are, I guess. ._. But this way I guess I can get them out faster!

I'm on a roll, though! Two chapters in about three days! I think this even beats my previous record. I feel very accomplished.

Anyway, Yuugi is pretty brainwashed right now. How will he get out of this? =o Wait and find out in the next chapter!

…I know, I'm terrible at this whole 'suspense' thing. xD Soooorrrrryyyyyy.


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